The moving brain

It begins with whispers. I can barely make out a few fragments of sentences echoing through the darkened theatre. "...something something, neural mechanisms..." "...muffle muffle, involuntary reflexes..." The phrases are fleeting and difficult to catch. It's like sitting inside someone's head and listening to snatches of their thoughts as they whizz down the nerve pathways.

Through dance and storytelling the actors conjure a vivid and moving performance depicting Bolte's experience as well as some of the neurological disorders Sacks describes in his book.

Science seldom lends itself to performance art, but this troupe has pulled off something special. While the actors recount the symptoms of the diseases, dancers respond like pieces of neural matter twisting and contorting under the weight of the disorder.

At times it does feel a bit out of control. Set in the centre of the audience, the stage is so small and cramped that at one point I have to duck to avoid a foot as it flies through the air. A few moments later, the audience is moved around the theatre further distorting our view of reality. But that's the point: when things go wrong in your brain, controlled chaos ensues.

(Image: Jasmine Robinson/Curious Directive)

The performers race through a series of neurological conditions, from the familar, such as Parkinson's disease, to the strange, including Capgras syndrome (in which the sufferer believes a friend or close member of family has been replaced by an impostor) and echopraxia (where a sufferer involuntarily imitates another's movements). The precise, clean and controlled movements of the dancers throw the flailing motions caused by these conditions into even greater relief.

Bolte's story serves as the backbone to the piece, a central storyline for the performance to return to before segueing into another chapter from Sacks's book. It's a shame these educational interludes don't feel more connected to the main story, but that's a minor gripe in what is a thought-provoking and moving performance. If you can get to North London by 29 January, don't miss it.

Performance InformationReturn to the Silenceby Curious Directive
Pleasance Theatre, London
Until 29 January

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